Holy
Pilgrimage – Temples in Karnataka State
Mahabaleshwar Temple, Gokarna, Karnataka
The Mahabaleshwar Temple, Gokarna is a Hindu temple located in Gokarna, a Hindu religious pilgrimage centre in Uttara Kannada district in the Indian state of Karnataka. A Pranalinga (Pranalinga is defined as “the reality of God which can be apprehended by the mind.” ) also known as Atmalinga or Shiva Linga is deified in the temple, which is facing the city beach of the Arabian Sea in Gokarna. The Shiva Linga has a hoary legend. It is said to bestow immense blessings to devotees who even glimpse it The temple is considered as pious as the Shiva temple at Varanasi or Kashi in North India on the banks of the Ganges River and hence is known as the Dakshin Kasi (South Kasi).The temple, built in a classical Dravidian style of architecture, was first constructed by Mayurasharma of the Kadamba dynasty, who ruled between 345 – 365. This king wanted to gain knowledge of the Vedic rites and the Ashwamedha Yagna (a horse sacrificial ritual), so he travelled to Kanchipuram, a major learning centre, but on reaching there, was insulted by a horseman guard and angry, he swore to defeat the Pallava dynasty (the then ruling dynasty). Following their defeat, the king asked a few priests to perform a daily yagna to maintain his suzerainty over the region. His son, King Kangavarman brought more Brahmin families from different lineages to maintain administration at the temple. Kalidasa mentions the "Lord of Gokarna" in his Raghuvamsha of the 4th century. The Gokarnam shrine is one of the Paadal Petra Sthalams of the 7th century Tevaram canon. Visvesvaraya of Halasunadu-Kundapura built the Chandrasala and Nandi pavilions when Queen Chennammaji and her son Soma sekharanayaka were ruling Keladi (1653-1671). The temple is a large complex of shrines and much of it belongs to the later Vijayanagara period. In 1665, Shivaji came here to worship the deity.
According to the legend, the Atmalinga was perforce placed at Gokarna, in the temple precincts where it is presently deified, by Ravana, the demon King of Lanka of epic Ramayana fame when he carried it from Mount Kailash in the Himalayas. Pilgrims take a holy dip in the Arabian Sea before visiting the temple for worship. It is one of the seven sacred Muktikshetras or Mukthistala (place of salvation) in India where many Hindus of Karnataka perform obsequies (death rites) for their departed; six other Muktistalas in Karnataka are: Udupi, Kollur, Subrahmanya, Kumbasi, Kodeshvara and Sankaranarayana.
Geography
The temple is located on the shores of the Karwar coast of the Arabian Sea in a green environment in the holy town of Gokarna, also spelt Gokarn, on the West Coast of India in Uttara Kannada or North Kannada district. Gokarna lies between the Gangavali and Aganashini rivers.National Highway 17 (NH17), a coastal highway on the western ghats of India (from Kochi to Mumbai), passes close to the temple town of Gokarna. The town is 56 kilometres (35 mi) from Karwar and252 kilometres (157 mi) from Mangalore on this highway. It is 450 kilometres (280 mi) from Bangalore and the nearest airport is at Panaji, Goa, 155 kilometres (96 mi) away
Legend
The hoary legend of the temple as narrated links Ravana of Ramayana fame, the demon king of Lanka, not only to the Shiva Linga deified in the Mahabaleshwar Temple but also to the Bhadra Kali temple here. The legend also provides the reasoning for the naming of the Gokarna town.Ravana's mother, a staunch devotee of Lord Shiva, was worshipping a Shiva Linga to bring prosperity to her son. Indra, the Lord of Heaven, who was jealous of this worship, stole the Shiva Linga and threw it away into the Sea. The distraught mother of Ravana went on a hunger strike as her devotional worship of Shiva was disrupted. Ravana then promised his mother that he would go to Mount Kailash, the abode of Lord Shiva, and bring the main Atmalinga itself for her worship. Ravana then performed severe penance at Mount Kailash to please Lord Shiva and also sang, in his melodious voice, praises of Shiva (Shiva Tandava Stotram). He even chopped his own head, and made a harp with threads drawn from his skin and intestine. Shiva pleased with all this devotional worship agreed to bestow boons to Ravana. Ravana, pleased with the promise of Shiva, asked for the Atmalinga and also a wife for himself, as pretty as Uma (mother of creation), Shiva's wife. Shiva then took out the Atma Linga, brightly shining like the Sun, from his own heart and gave it to Ravana with strict instructions that it should not be placed on ground till it was deified at a final destination. As regards the second request for a beautiful wife, Shiva offered his own wife to Ravana, as in his view there was no other woman more beautiful than Uma, his wife.
Ravana, blinded by his infatuation for Uma, accepted her and carried her off on his shoulder along with the Atmalinga. He went south towards his kingdom. This created an alarm and fear among the various gods in heaven. Ganesha, Skanda (warrior god) and Virabhadra, sons of Shiva and Parvati were perturbed. Nandi, the bull was equally surprised by this development. All of them appealed to Shiva for redress from this unwarranted situation. Shiva told them not worry and promised that Lord Vishnu would redeem the situation.
Uma, who was ordered by Shiva to go with Ravana, then appealed to Lord Vishnu for help. Vishnu agreed and he met Ravana at Gokarna, disguised as an aged, frail looking Brahmin. The Brahmin asked Ravana as to how he was carrying such a lovely woman on his shoulders. Ravana, in his enthusiasm, explained that Shiva of Kailash himself had given her to him. Pleased with the Brahmin's words of praise, Ravana brought her down to have a look at her charming face. This was his undoing as at that moment, Vishnu played a trick and made Uma look haggard, aged and repulsive. The Brahmin then gave a derisive laugh and made a humiliating remark of Ravana's choice of the lady. Thus humiliated, Ravana deserted Uma and went back to Kailash to complain and plead with Shiva. Vishnu then asked Uma to settle down at Gokarna. Now, she is worshipped in Gokarna, as Mother Bhadrakali.[9]
Then Vishnu created an illusion of a charming girl in front of Ravana and assured him that this girl would be born as Mandodari, daughter of Mayasura and marry him. Mollified by this promise, Ravana returned carrying the Atmalinga. On the way, he met Ganesha in the garb of a cowherd (by the request of lord indra) at the same location where he had deserted Uma. At that moment Ravana wanted urgently to attend the call of nature and he, therefore, requested Ganesha to hold the Atmalinga in his hand till he returned after ablutions. There is another version to the legend at this point. It is said that Ravana, being a Brahmin wanted to offer his evening religious prayers, Sandhyavandanam, and he, therefore, requested Ganesha, who appeared before him as a Brahmin boy, to hold on to the Atmalinga till he returned; with strict instructions to Ganesha not to place it on the ground under any circumstance.
However, Ravana could not come within the specified time. Ganesha called out thrice rapidly for Ravana. Even before Ravana could return, Ganesha placed the Atmalinga on the ground, tricked Ravana and vanished from the scene with his cows. Ravana then chased the only cow, which was going underground. However, he managed to get hold of the cow's ear only, as the rest of cow's body had disappeared below ground. It is this ear now seen in a petrified form, which has given the name 'Gokarna' to the place, meaning "Cow's ear." (in Sanskrit 'Gow' means "cow" and 'karna' means "ear"). Then, Ravana tried hard to lift the Shiv Linga but failed as it was firmly fixed. Ravana had even fainted; thereafter he gave the name Mahabaleshwar (meaning all-powerful) to the Atmalinga. Thus, according to the legend narrated, the place now boasts of three divine entities namely: Gokarna, the cow's ear; the Atmalinga or Shiva Linga that is deified in the Mahabaleshwar Temple; and the Goddess Bhadrakali, which are all now divine places of worship integral to Gokarna.
Temple structure
The temple built in Dravidian architectural style, with granite stones, has the Atmalinga enshrined in it on a "square Saligrama Peetha" (pedestal). It has a small hole at its centre from where devotees can see the top of the Atmalinga. The deity, a carved stone image of Lord Shiva, is also deified here in a standing position and has two arms, and is said to be 1500 years old.[6][7][10]Historical
Vijayanagara Emperor visited the temple and weighed himself in gold here. In 1665, Shivaji, after disbanding his army here, worshipped at the temple. In 1676, Fryer, the English traveller visited the place during Shivaratri festival and has written in detail about the festival at the temple.Religious practices
Festival
Shivaratri
festival, observance of the birthday of Lord Shiva, is celebrated in the temple
town in February, when a very large number of pilgrims visit the shrine. During
this festival, Rathyatra (Rath is a large wooden chariot) is also held when
images of Shiva and other deities are installed in the chariot and it is then
ceremonially pulled through the town by devotees, accompanied by the drum
bands. The Rathayatra starts from the Shri Maha Ganapati Temple at the terminus
of the main market street, also known as the 'Car Street' Other attractions
Apart from the Mahabaleshwar Temple there are several other attractions of religious significance in Gokarna that are linked to the local legend of the temple. These are
Sri Maha Ganapathi temple
According to
the legend Sri Maha Ganapathi Temple was built in honour of the boy Ganapathi,
who deceived the demon Ravana and saved the Atmalinga that is now
installed in the Mahabaleshwar Temple. The temple has a granite image of
Ganesha deified in it which is 5 feet (1.5 m) tall and two-handed; at the
top of its head there is hole that is stated to be a mark of a violent blow
conjectured to have been inflicted by Ravana. The temple has its own identity
and is also known as Sidda Ganapati
Gogarbha
According to
legends, the Atmalinga that vanished in the form of gov or cow made a lasting
cave in the nearby hill called as "Gogarbha" meaning 'the woumb of
cow'. The cave is still visited by sadhus and used as a resting place. The
folklore said sadhus went into 'Gogarbha' and reached 'Kashi', the holy city of
hinduism and final pilgrim place to visit.
The Temple of Bharat
Although one
of a kind temple still exists on the hillock near the mahabaleshwar temple, its
deity has been stolen by miscreants. Its uniqueness is that it is situated well
above the temple of Rama with a ramateertha
Kotitheertha
Kotitheertha
is a man-made pond, which is used for immersion of idols and ritual bathing. It
is surrounded by temples and has a small platform in the centre.
Devotees usually take bath in the
pond before they visit the Mahabaleshwar Temple for worship. The pond was
cleaned recently.Maha Ganapathi Mahammaya Temple, Shirali, Karnataka
The Shirali Maha Ganapathi Mahammaya Temple is the Kuladevata Temple (family temple) to the Prabhus, Joishys, Bhats, Kamaths, Puraniks, Mallyas, Kudvas, Nayaks of the Gowda Saraswat community. The temple is located at Shirali in the Uttar Kannada district of Karnataka state. It is a five minute drive from Bhatkal.These families are referred to as the Kulavis of the temple. The temple was established by devotees who migrated from Goa about 400–500 years ago. The presiding deities are Shri Mahaganapati (Vinayaka) and Shri Mahamaya (Shantadurga).
The deities were originally in Goa in the area called Golthi and Naveli. Golthi / Goltim and Naveli / Navelim are located in Divar Island, Tiswadi Taluka of Goa. On account of the hostile religious policies pursued by the Portuguese rulers around 1560, the devotees left Goa. Unable to take with them the idols, they invoked the ‘saanidhya’ or the presence of the deities in the silver trunk of Lord Ganesha and the mask of goddess Mahamaya. When they reached Bhatkal they were unable to construct a temple immediately and kept these two symbols in a shop belonging to a devotee. Later on they constructed a temple in Shirali, a few miles north of Bhatkal, where it stands to this day. The deities are also called Pete Vinayaka and Shantadurga as they are located in a "pete", which means a town in Kannada. The temple has a unique darshan seva called, "mali".
Today the temple conducts various pujas including Shasraganayaga, Rathotsav, Ganahoma and Sahasrachandikahavana. The Rathotsav or the Car Festival is celebrated by the temple on Margashira Shudda Navami (in November or December.) The important events during rathotsava include pete utsava of Mahaganapathi on Margashira Shudda Chauthi and Mahamaya on Margashira Shudda Ashtami, ratri utsava every night and okuli on Margashira Shudda Dashami.
Its is estimated that currently the Shirali Maha Ganapathi and Mahammaya temple has 125 Kulavis, with a total of 600 persons. Most Kulavis visit the temple annually, and many Kulavis living abroad visit the temple every time they visit India
Mahadeva Temple, Itagi, Karnataka
The Mahadeva Temple is located in the town of Itagi in Yalburga Taluk, in the Koppal District of Karnataka state, India. It is about 7 km from Kuknur and 20 km from Lakkundi.
Mahadeva Temple
Main articles: Western Chalukya architecture and Western Chalukya temples
The Mahadeva
Temple was built based on the general plan of the Amruteshwara Temple at Annigeri
(used as the prototype). The Mahadeva Temple has the same architectural
components; there is a difference in their articulation.The Mahadeva Temple at Itagi was built circa 1112 CE by Mahadeva, a commander (dandanayaka) in the army of the Western Chalukya King Vikramaditya VI. Itagi is about 22 miles (35 km) east of Gadag and 40 miles (64 km) west of Hampi. The temple is dedicated to Hindu God Shiva. The well-executed sculptures, finely crafted carvings on walls, pillars and the tower make it a good example of complete Western Chalukyan art which speaks volumes about the taste of the Chalukyan artisans. An inscription dated 1112 CE in the temple calls it "Emperor among Temples" (Devalaya Chakravarti). Art historian Henry Cousens called this monument the "finest in Kannada country after Halebidu". These Western Chalukya monuments, regional variants of existing dravida (South Indian) temples, defined the Karnata dravida tradition The Mahadeva temple is officially protected as a national monument by the Archaeological Survey of India.
Temple plan
The temple plan consists of a shrine (cella) which is connected to
a closed mantapa
(hall) by a vestibule (antechamber). The closed mantapa leads to an open
pillared mantapa, with the temple as a whole facing the east. Some parts
of the temple, such as the cornice and parapet over the outer edge of the roof
of the open mantapa are missing.
The main temple, the sanctum of
which has a linga
(symbol of Shiva), is surrounded by thirteen minor shrines, each
with its own linga. The temple has two other shrines, dedicated to
Murthinarayana and Chandraleshwari, parents of Mahadeva, the Chalukya commander
who consecrated the temple.
The closed mantapa
has a doorway on each side, with the eastern doorway leading to the open mantapa
and the western doorway to the sanctum. The door panels are well wrought and
the ceiling of the porches have a ribbed design in them. The decoration of the
outer walls follows the same pattern as that of the shrine.
The great open mantapa has
64 pillars, 24 of which are full pillars which start from the floor and support
the main ceiling. The remaining are half pillars (or "dwarf pillars")
which start from the bench (parapet wall) that surrounds the mantapa and
support the sloping eaves. The pillars in this hall bear similarities to the
porch pillars at the Dodda Basappa Temple at Dambal and the
lathe-turned pillars (whose rounded sections are lathe-turned) at the Kasivisvesvara Temple at Lakkundi
The square ceiling of the open mantapa which are supported by the four central pillars exhibits interesting fretted stonework. The ceiling here has been worked into a decorative arabesque foliage and makaras (mythical beasts) which flow from the mouth of a Kirtimukha (gargoyle or demon face). This type of stonework is considered as high a quality as any. In stark contrast, the interior of the closed mantapa and the sanctum are plain and simple. It is believed that bracket figures that once adorned the outside pillars are now missing. These forward leaning bracket figures (Salabhanjika), which normally represent female forms in various poses (such as dancing or adorning themselves), would have rested on small blocks on the shaft of the pillars (capital), finding support from the underside of the overhanging cornice via a slot in their upper end
Mallikarjuna Temple, Basaralu, Karnataka
The Mallikarjuna temple, dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva is located in Basaralu, a small town in the Mandya district, Karnataka state, India. Basaralu is located close to Nagamangala and about 65 km from the culturally important city of Mysore. The temple was built by Harihara Dhannayaka around 1234 A.D. during the rule of the Hoysala Empire King Vira Narasimha II. This temple is protected as a monument of national importance by the Archaeological Survey of India.
Temple Plan
Overview
The temple is highly ornate example of Hoysala architecture. The temple plan is that of a trikuta (three shrined) though only the middle one has a superstructure (tower or shikhara) and a sukhanasi (nose or tower over the vestibule) The three shrines are connected by a common hall (mantapa) which is unique in that it mixes characteristics of an open and a closed hall. The lateral shrines are connected directly to the hall while the middle shrine has a vestibule that connects the sanctum (cella or vimana) to the hall. Since the lateral shrines have no tower over them, and are directly connected to the hall without a vestibule and its corresponding tower like projection, they do not appear like shrines at all from the outside. Rather, they are absorbed into the walls of hall. The central shrine on the contrary is highly visible because of its tower, and the sukhanasi that projects prominently from the tower. The cella in the central shrine has a linga (the universal symbol of the god Shiva) while the lateral shrines contain an image of surya (the sun) and a pair of nagas (snakes).
The temple stands on a platform called jagati,
a feature common to many Hoysala temples. The platform, in addition to its
visual appeal, is meant to provide devotees a path for circumambulation
(pradakshinapatha)
around the temple. It closely follows the outline of the temple, giving it a
good elevated look. It has two flights of steps leading to each lateral
entrance of the temple The tower over
the central shrine and the vestibule (sukhanasi or nose) are intact and
highly decorative. The other standard features of a Hoysala temple; the large
domed roof over the tower (called "helmet" or amalaka), the kalasa
on top of it (the decorative water-pot at the apex of the helmet) and the
Hoysala crest (emblem of the Hoysala warrior stabbing a lion) over the sukhanasi
are all intact, adding to the decorative look. The dome is actually
a heavy, well sculptured "helmet" over the tower and is the largest
piece of sculpture in the temple (2x2 meters). Its shape usually follows the
that of the shrine and hence can be either square or star shaped
Decoration and sculptures
The decorative plan of the walls of the shrines and the mantapa (hall) is of the "new kind", with two eaves that run around the temple. The wall panel images have the same quality of workmanship seen in the more famous temples at Belur and Halebidu, though the images are smaller and simpler In the "new kind" of decorative articulation, the first heavy eaves runs below the superstructure and all around the temple with a projection of about half a meter. The second eaves runs around the temple about a meter below the first. In between the two eaves are the miniature decorative towers (Aedicula) on pilasters. Below the second eaves are the wall panel of images of Hindu deities and their attendants in relief. Below this, at the base are the six equal width rectangular moldings (frieze). Starting from the top, the friezes depict; hansa (birds) in the first frieze, makara (aquatic monsters) in the second (though often interrupted with kirtimukhas in this temple), epics and other stories in the third (which in this case is from the Hindu epic Ramayana, the Mahabharata, and stories of Krishna), lions in the fourth (instead of the more commonly seen leafy scrolls), horses in the fifth and elephants at the bottom. At the entrance to the hall are elephant balustrades. Notable among the wall panel sculptures and depicting scenes from the epics and puranic stories are the sixteen handed Shiva dancing on the head of a demon called Andhakasura, dancing images of a twenty-two armed Durga and Saraswati, King Ravana lifting Mount Kailash, the Pandava prince Arjuna shooting the fish target, and Draupadi rushing forth with garland, and the slaying of the demon Gajasura
Om Tat Sat
(Continued...)
(My
humble salutations to the great devotees
, wikisources and Pilgrimage tourist guide for the
collection )
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